Driving mechanism



March l7, 133. w STACEY 2,034,062

DRIViNG MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 1, 1932 Patented Mar. 17, 1936'NITED STATES FFICE DRIVING MECHANISM Original application February 1,1932, Serial No. 590,109. Divided and this application April 3, 1933,Serial No. 664,189

19 Claims. (Cl. 19283) My invention relates to mechanisms through whichpower may be transmitted to a machine to be operated and the applicationof the driving force governed. The subject-matter herein presented hasbeen divided from an application filed in my name in the United StatesPatent Office on February 1, 1932, Serial No. 590,109, and directed toApparatus for operating upon rubber-stock and like material.

In sole-cutting apparatus of the character disclosed in the parentapplication, it is desirable that single operating cycles may beperformed under power, as for the purpose of testing, or that continuousoperation in successive cycles may be had for the production of work. Anobject of this invention is to provide for such driving of a machine bysimple mechanism readily controlled by the operator. For the attainmentof this object, there is combined with the driving shaft of a machine tobe operated and a clutch for rotating the shaft, two operator-controlledmembers for governing the engagement and disengagement of the clutch,through a unitary member, one operator-controlled member being providedwith means for securing it in either position for engagement or fordisengagement, and the other member having means for normallymaintaining it in an ineffective position. The movement of the first ofthese members may be in opposite directions, while the second moves tothe engaging position and then farther for disengagement. Thefirst-mentioned member conveniently governs the action of the machineshaft for the production of successive operating cycles. The second maybe employed for the single-cycle operation, there being included in thisconnection automatic means for disengaging the clutch after theactuation of said second member has initiated a cycle. Because continuedmovement of this second member in the same direction disengages theclutch, it may be effectively utilized for the quick or emergencystopping of the machine shaft, and it also enables the operator togradually turn over the shaft and bring it to rest at any intermediatepoint in a cycle to facilitate the making of adjustments. In theillustrated embodiment of the invention, there appears means, such as aspring, for causing the engagement of the clutch, a lever or like memberfor disengagement of the clutch against the force of the engaging means,and a latch for holding the member in its disengaging position. Thislatch may not only exercise a retaining function but is also preferablycapable of movement, as by means such as a cam operable by the machine,to produce the separation of the clutch elements for single-cycleoperation. Two operator-controlled members are shown for releasing thelatch. One of these may, after such release and the consequent startingof the machine, act through a spring, which has been comipressed duringits initial movement, to shift the disengaging member and separate theclutch to stop the machine.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a machine for cuttingand embossing rubber soles, to which machine my improved drivingmechanism is applied;

Fig. 2, an enlarged, broken side elevation of said mechanism;

Fig. 3, a partial plan view of the mechanism; and r Fig. 4, aperspective View of a portion of the latching means for theclutch-lever, elements being shown as separated.

There is indicated in Fig. 1, mounted upon a frame 32, intermittentlyacting feeding mechanism B for rubber stock R, embossing mechanism C,cutting mechanism D, and soleand scrapdelivering mechanism E. These maybe as in the previously-mentioned parent application. None. of thestructural details is of consequence in connection with the presentinvention.

Power for operating the feeding mechanism, embossing mechanism, cuttingmechanism and delivering mechanism is applied to an operating shaft 226from driving mechanism F. This driving mechanism includes controllingmeans which allows the apparatus to be operated uninterruptedly to cutsuccessive soles from the web without attention on the part of theoperator, to perform a single operating cycle and thus cut one sole fromthe web, to be inched or actuated gradually through a partial cycle ormore to facilitate setting or adjustment, and to be instantly stoppedduring operation in any manner. There is supported upon the lowerportion of the frame 32 an electric motor 552 with its shaft joined bybelt-gearing 554 to a pulley 556 normally free to turn upon a shaft 558journaled in the frame below and at right angles to the shaft 224, towhich it is connected by worm-gearing 560. The outer face of the pulley556 furnishes one member of a friction-clutch I. The other member isshown as a disk 56I splined to move along the shaft 556, there being aspring 562 interposed between the disk and a collar 564 adjustable uponthe outer extremity of the shaft, which spring, unrestrained, causes thedriving engagement of the clutch and consequent rotation of the shaft224. A peripherally slotted hub of the disk 56! is engaged by the forkedlower end of a three-armed lever 566 fulcrumed upon the frame. Anupwardly extending arm 568 of the lever may be engaged at 518 by alatch-bar 512 to hold the clutch I open against the action of the spring562. The latch-bar is pivotally supported upon a lever 514 turning uponthe frame and is provided with an adjustable contact-piece 516 forengagement with the clutch-lever 566. A roll 518 upon the lower end ofthe lever 514 has contacting with it a cam 588 secured upon the shaft224. Under the influence of the high portion of the cam, the latch-bar,by drawing its piece 516 against the lever-portion 518, acts to move theupper end of said lever to the right (Fig. 1), disengaging the clutchand stopping the apparatus. Because the cycle is terminated with thehigh portion of the cam in contact with the roll 518, the latchedrelation, with the apparatus at rest, is maintained until theclutch-lever is freed by the operator. For this purpose and to causecontinuous operation of the apparatus, a spindle 582 is arranged to turntransversely of the frame. At the operators side of the apparatus, thespindle has fast upon it a crank 584 movable to opposite clutch-engagingand clutch-disengaging positions. The crank has a retaining pin 588,which in the opposite positions may engage one of two openings 588 inthe frame. At the opposite extremity of the spindle from the crank-arm,there is fixed a collar 598, from which is an inward projection 592entering a depression 593 somewhat extended circumferentially in theadjacent side of the hub of a lever 594 fulcrumed to turn on the spindle582. This lever may be turned anti-clockwise (Fig. 1) when the crank 584is shifted from right to left. The movement forces a roll 596 upon thelever into contact with the under side of the latch-bar 512, raising itagainst the tension of a spring 598 extending between the bar and thecollar 598. The portion 516 of the bar is thereby lifted away from theclutchlever portion 518, freeing the lever and permitting the spring 562to cause the engagement of the clutch I. Since, as long as the crank 584is held at the left-hand opening 588 the latchbar 512 is elevated, theclutch-releasing and latching element 516 can not contact with thelever-portion 518, the cam 588 is ineffective, and the apparatuscontinues to perform successive operating cycles.

To produce a single operating cycle only of the apparatus, there isarranged for contact with a short arm or lateral offset 688 from thelever 594 the upper end of a rod 682 guided for vertical reciprocationin the frame and articulated at its lower extremity to an arm 684projecting from a shaft 686 turning at the bottom of the frame 32 andhaving secured to it a treadle 688. Surrounding the rod 682 and actingto depress it is. a spring 6|8 interposed between a collar 6l2adjustable along the rod and a horizontal arm 6I4 of the lever 565,through an opening in which arm the rod passes. The character of thespring 6|8, it being weaker than the spring 562, is such that the rod682 may be raised from its normal ineffective position without affectingthe clutch. I until said rod strikes the lever-arm 688. Although thecrank-arm 584 is at this time securedin the non-operating position, thelever 594 may be moved by this contact because of the extent of thedepression 593, in which the less angula rly extended projection 592 mayremain at rest.

The lever 594 therefore lifts the latch-bar 512 to carry thecontact-portion 516 away from the lever-portion 518. This unlatches thelever 566, allowing the spring 562 to establish engagement between thesections of the clutch I and starting the apparatus in operation. Theleverportion 518 now lies beneath the bar-portion 516. If, having donethis, the operator releases the treadle, the apparatus will complete itscycle, during which the low section of the cam 588 will so free thelever 514 that the spring 598 may shift the lever-roll 518 to the right(Fig. 1), the bar-portion 516 moving to the left of the leverportion518. As the cycle is completed, the high section of the cam, acting uponthe roll 518, swings the lever 514 clockwise, and the barportion 516,now contacting with the side of the lever-portion 518, turns theclutch-lever 566 clockwise. This opens the clutch and the apparatusstops. If at any time the operator wishes to discontinue the operationof the apparatus, he fully depresses the treadle 688, raising the rod682 through a greater distance than for its clutch-engaging action.Although this unlatches the clutch-lever 566, it also compresses thespring M8 to such an extent that it offers greater resistance than thespring 562. Consequently, pressure of the spring 6|8 against thelever-arm 6l4 turns the lever 566 clockwise to disengage the clutch,regardless of how its operation was initiated or what point in the cyclehas been reached. When the treadle is released, provided the crank 584is not set for continuous operation, the apparatus will complete anyportion of a cycle which may have begun, and will then be stopped by theaction of the cam 588. If the operator wishes to turn the apparatus overgradually, this may be accomplished by causing the treadle to movebetween the position in which the clutch I is fully disengaged and thatat which the spring 562 may establish driving engagement.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which the shaft may be driven, shifting means for the clutch, amember movable by the operator in opposite directions for governing theengagement and disengagement of. the clutch, and a second member movableby the operator to govern the engagement of the clutch and movablefarther to govern the disengagement of the clutch.

2. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which the shaft may be driven, a member movable by the operatorin opposite directions for governing the engagement and disengagement ofthe clutch, a second member movable by the operator to govern theengagement of the clutch and movable farther to govern the disengagementof the clutch, and an automatic means for disengaging the clutch aftermovement of the second member to the engaging position.

3. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging. the clutch torotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutch against theforce of the engaging means, a member movable through differentdistances, the member upon movement of one extent governing the actionof the engaging means and upon movement of another extent governing thedisengaging member, and a yieldable member through which thelast-mentioned effect is transmitted.

4. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which'the shaft may be driven, means for engaging the clutch torotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutch against theforce of the engaging means, a member movable to govern the action ofthe engaging means, and a movementtransmitting spring interposed betweensaid governing member and the disengaging member.

5. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging the clutch torotate the shaft, 9. member movable to disengage the clutch against theforce of the engaging means, and an operator-controlled member movablethrough different distances, the member upon movement of one extentgoverning the action of the engaging means and upon movement of anotherextent governing the disengaging member, and means operable by themachine for nullifying the effect of the operator-controlled member uponthe engaging means.

6. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging the clutch torotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutch against theforce of the engaging means, and an operator-controlled member movablethrough different distances, the member upon movement of one extentgoverning the action of the engaging means and upon movement of anotherextent governing the disengaging member, and a secondoperator-controlled member for governing the engaging means.

7. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of. aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging theclutch to rotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutchagainst the force of the engaging means, a latch for holding the memberin disengaging position, and means for moving the latch to release themember for movement and to move said member oppositely to that uponrelease.

8. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of a clutchthrough which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging the clutch torotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutch against theforce of the engaging means, a latch for holding the member indisengaging position, and means movable through different distances bythe operator for first releasing the latch and thereafter moving themember.

9. The combination with a shaft of. a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging theclutch to rotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutchagainst the force of the engaging means, a latch for holding the memberin disengaging position, and a plurality of members each independentlymovable by the operator to move and thus separately release the latch.

10. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging theclutch to rotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutchagainst the force of the engaging means, a latch for holding the memberin disengaging position, and a plurality of members independentlymovable by the operator for releasing the latch, one of. said membersbeing arranged to first release the latch and thereafter shift thedisengaging member.

- 11. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, a spring for engaging theclutch, a lever for disengaging the clutch against the force of thespring, a member for movement by the operator to actuate the lever, aspring through which the member acts upon the lever and controllingmeans for the clutch into engagement with which the member comes duringcompression of the spring.

12. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, a spring for engaging theclutch, a lever for disengaging the clutch against the force of thespring, a member movable by the operator to produce movement of thelever, and a latch for holding the lever in disengaging position, themember being arranged to release the latch.

13. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, a spring for engaging theclutch, a lever for disengaging the clutch against the force of thespring, a member for movement. by the operator to actuate the lever, alatch for holding the lever in disengaging position, and a lever movablein contact with the latch under the influence of the operator-controlledmember.

14. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, a spring for engaging theclutch, a lever for disengaging the clutch against the force of thespring, a member for movement by the operator to actuate the lever, alatch for holding the lever in disengaging position, a lever movable incontact with the latch under the influence of the operator-controlledmember, and a second operator-controlled member acting upon the latch.

15. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, a. spring for engaging theclutch, a lever for disengaging the clutch against the force of thespring, a member movable by the operator to produce movement of thelever, a latch for holding the lever in disengaging position, and meansfor moving the latch to cause the lever to be shifted.

16. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging theclutch to rotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutchagainst the force of the engaging means, a movable governing member forthe disengaging member, a rotatable spindle, a lever free to turn uponthe spindle and engaging the. governing member, the lever and spindlehaving surfaces which may contact to actuate the lever, and means forturning the lever upon the spindle.

17. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging theclutch to rotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutchagainst the force of the engaging means, a movable governing member forthe disengaging member, a rotatable spindle, a crank for rotating thespindle, a lever free to turn upon the spindle and engaging thegoverning member, the lever and spindle having surfaces which maycontact to actuate the lever, and a treadle-actuated rod engaging thelever.

18. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, means for engaging theclutch to rotate the shaft, a member movable to disengage the clutchagainst the force of the engaging means, a movable governing member forthe disengaging member, a rotatable spindle, a lever free to turn uponthe spindle and engaging the governing member, the lever and spindlehaving surfaces which may contact to actuate the lever, means forturning the lever upon the spindle, and a cam rotatable by the machineand acting upon the governing member.

19. The combination with a shaft of a machine to be operated, of aclutch through which the shaft may be driven, shifting means forengaging the clutch, a member movable by the operator to positions forgoverning the engagement and disengagement of the clutch, means fortemporarily securing the member in either position, a 5

